Somalia Immigration Moratorium Act

Key Points

• This bill, introduced by Representative Gill of Texas, would stop the U.S. government from giving visas or legal immigration status to people from Somalia for the next 25 years. The proposal states that the government's main job is to protect the safety and interests of its own citizens.
• The ban would apply to almost everyone from Somalia who is not already here. However, there are exceptions for people who were already living in the U.S. legally before the law starts, people with green cards, and certain foreign government officials or diplomats.
• The policy would also make it much harder for citizens of Somalia to ask for legal help to stay in the country if they are facing deportation. It removes certain protections that usually allow people to stay if they fear for their safety in their home country.
• If this bill becomes law, the restrictions would stay in place for two and a half decades. The Secretary of State and the Secretary of Homeland Security would be the only officials allowed to approve the specific exceptions mentioned in the bill.